While driving today I got a strong wiff of diesel fuel in the cab that lasted maybe 2 minutes and then dissipated. I had been driving for 10-15 minutes already, and it's been a week since fillup, so it wasn't any fuel spill on me or the floormats. Anyone else ever get this? I've only had the truck for a couple of months, so everything is a new surprise! <br>'97 Ram 2500 CDT 4x4<br>Thanks.<br>Greg

 

If your truck gets hard to start in the near future, I'd put money on the fuel supply and return hoses leaking. It's a common thing in the 12 valves. They can be ugly to change but it's a cheap fix. The supply is 3/8&quot;, the return is 5/16&quot;.

 

I have noticed some fuel drips in the driveway in the morning, and the front end is pretty grungy underneath. I'm assuming these lines are rubber fuel lines? And go from where to where? (maybe a link to another discussion or tech tip somewhere on changing these?) <br>Thanks.<br>Greg

 

If you follow the lines from the tank you'll find them. The supply hose is close to the firewall and the return line is tucked in behind the fuel filter. To change the supply hose, undo it at the top first. There's a steel portion that's clipped to the bellhousing (on my automatic, anyway). Unclip that and pull it out from the bottom to get at the lower clamp. The steel portion on my return line had been cut by the frame and about 3' of hose replaced the cutoff part and the original hose. The previous owner ran the return hose through a piece of heaterhose to protect it. It was pretty easy to change compared to some of the horror stories I hear from other guys. A nut driver with at least a foot of extensions really helps.
I'd check around your fuel filter, fuel pump, fuel preheater, etc for leaks before I tackled the hoses. Changing them is good for a few cuss words just because they're so hard to get at. If you do change them, do them both and make sure you get good quality diesel fuel rated hose.
I should mention that the return line might not show any signs of leaking but will suck air into the fuel system and make the truck hard to start.
Here's a really good site for repairs. Not much on fuel hose replacement but lots of other stuff. Dave Fritz's Ram Tech